It turns out the American Coal Foundation has been teaming up with Scholastic, a supposed educational publishing company, to insert its message into elementary schools by way of fourth grade lesson plans. Scholastic enjoys a reputation among parents … [Read more...]
Questions about readily available soft-porn images and our little boys
April 25, 2011 by
UPDATE: Please see below regarding new research. I snapped this photo at a local CVS drug store. This is a selection of the magazine covers displayed at the eye level of 6- to 12-year-old boys. Pornography is said to be addictive and can cause … [Read more...]
A reading list from the @mktgchildhood Twitter timeline
April 21, 2011 by
Time again for a roundup of interesting reading I have found and posted on Twitter with a focus on the topic of selling our kids to the highest bidder.(Do you follow me on Twitter? If you are interested in the topics we talk about here, then please … [Read more...]
Movie Review: Winter’s Bone
April 19, 2011 by
I highly recommend Winter's Bone–with its excellent messages about female strength and courage, as well as the damaging effects of illicit drugs–for older teens. What’s with movie ratings? Apparently any mention of illicit drugs earns an R, but you … [Read more...]
Mainstream retailer questions the gender police. I feel giddy.
April 14, 2011 by
Is J. Crew a subversive company that questions the cultural paradigm? Or was the decision to publish a photo of a mother painting her small son’s toenails hot pink a deliberate business decision designed to generate controversy and therefore free … [Read more...]
No, your baby can’t read: Deceptive and unfair marketing to new parents
April 14, 2011 by
The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is taking on Your Baby Can Read. The company tells parents in infomercials that their baby can learn to read from watching the company's videos, which are similar to flashcards. This is deceptive marketing … [Read more...]
Marketers gone wild
April 13, 2011 by
A nice special-occasion dress for sale last weekend in Harvard Square.I stopped in a few clothing shops this weekend, and was, I have to say, dumbfounded. There were logos on the outside of everything. Everything! Sure, I couldn’t find a pair … [Read more...]
Media literacy success in middle school
April 8, 2011 by
One discussion about media literacy can benefit hundreds of children. Join the conversation, spread the word, help kids stand up for themselves.It was just a year ago that I talked with my son’s fifth grade teacher about the need to help … [Read more...]
Media literacy education conference, Boston
April 5, 2011 by
This week I will be attending the Action Coalition for Media Education conference on April 7 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. … [Read more...]
BOOK – Gender stereotypes: How boys are harmed by the media’s twisted portrayal of how to be a man
March 16, 2011 by
Book Review The Achilles Effect: What Pop Culture is Teaching Young Boys about MasculinityMy son picked up my copy of The Achilles Effect, by Crystal Smith, and started reading aloud about toy action figures that have bulked up to superhuman … [Read more...]
Marketing, Media and Childhood 